Wrestler Art Crews hosts book signing

Former pro wrestler Art Crews, who now lives in St. Landry Parish, will sign copies of his new book today at 4 p.m. in the Classic Anatomy Gym in Leonville .

The gym is located at 4013 La. 31, about a mile from the Dollar General Store.

Gym owner Steve Speyrer said Crews will be happy to autograph copies of his new book, "We Made 'em Look Good," and pose for pictures.

"I'm sure he will have some great stories to share and insights to reveal about his time on the circuit," Speyrer said.

Crews, probably best known to fans as "The Blonde Bomber," was a well-known figure on the pro wrestling circuit throughout the 1980s.

He lives in Port Barre with his wife, the former Judy Burleigh, who co-wrote the book.

Although Crews took a number of titles during his wrestling days, he was primarily an undercard wrestler.

Speyrer said that is what inspired the book's title.

"He fought and lost to the likes of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. He made them look good," Speyrer said.

The book, available on Amazon.com, has been released in hardback, softback and electronic editions for use on the Kindle and other platforms.

Crews, who also performed under the name "The Kansas Cowboy," competed in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly in the Central States, Mid-South and Pacific Northwest territories, from 1980 to 1989.

During his time in the sport, he knew and traveled with legends like Terry Funk, Road Warrior Animal, Ric Flair, Terry Gordy and many others.

Speyrer said Crews tells a gut-wrenching, brutally honest story that gets "down and dirty" about professional wrestling in its heyday.

"He takes you from his dreams of becoming a professional wrestler to his career's heart-tugging ending," Speyrer said.

The book is filled with many never-before-published photographs as well a detailed list of the sport's participants and an eight-page glossary of "wrestler speak."

In the late 1980s, as his life in wrestling began to wind down, Crews launched another career.

He taught wrestling holds and other self-defense trips to correctional officers in various prison systems.

After he graduated from La Salle University with a degree in criminal justice management, he spent 13 years in law enforcement, he worked his way up from an instructor and correctional officer to managerial positions as a prison administrator and executive manager.

In 2001, he became chief of security at the Yakima Department of Corrections in Yakima, Washington, where he supervised 184 employees.

He then became the warden of Coastal Bend Detention Center in Texas and managed nearly 500 employees and 2,500 inmates until he stepped down in August 2009.

He remains active in law enforcement.

For more information on the book signing, call Speyrer at 337-879-2200.